Kane Williamson’s assured century underpinned New Zealand’s 291 all out in 45 overs against Australia in their Champions Trophy opener, after Luke Ronchi smashed 65 against the country he once represented either side of a two-hour rain delay on Friday.
Williamson underscored his status as one of the players to watch in this tournament, easing into his 97-ball 100 before splattering Australia’s much-feared pace attack around Edgbaston with an array of shots. The captain struck eight fours and three sixes by the time he was run out with 6.5 overs left.
That left the New Zealanders still well-placed on 254-4 but a late-innings flourish failed to materialise, with Josh Hazlewood finishing with figures of 6-52 off nine overs as Australia took the last seven wickets for 37 runs in 5.5 overs to seize the initiative.
The Group A match between trans-Tasman rivals was reduced to 46 overs per side.
Earlier, Ronchi — born in New Zealand but raised in Australia, for whom he played seven limited-overs internationals in 2008-09 — provided some entertainment with three sixes and nine fours in a 43-ball salvo as a pinch-hitting opener.
The wicketkeeper, selected ahead of Tim Latham, struck 24 before showers arrived at the central England venue with New Zealand 67-1, then returned with more lusty blows amid the best atmosphere of the innings. It was his first ODI fifty in the last 37 innings, dating back to January and his 170 against Sri Lanka.
When Ronchi departed, caught at point by Glenn Maxwell, New Zealand was motoring along at 117-2. Williamson was joined by Ross Taylor and there was a mid-innings lull as the batsmen attempted to set a platform for a total above 300.
The Black Caps didn’t quite manage it, and they would have wanted more especially after Williamson and Taylor put on 99 for the third wicket.
Taylor went slogging for 46, and Williamson nudged a single for his ninth ODI hundred before departing moments later after deliberating with Neil Broom as they tried to nick a single.
New Zealand wobbled late on, with Broom (14), James Neesham (6) and Corey Anderson (8) going cheaply. Adam Milne was caught for 11 on the boundary after hitting two boundaries and Hazlewood enticed a nick off Trent Boult (0) to collect the final four wickets.
England had beaten Bangladesh by eight wickets in Group A on Thursday.
